Car-axle box.



Patented July 8, I902.

0. NEWHOUSE.

CAR AXLE BOX.

(Application filed Dec. 28, 1900.)

3 Sheets-$heet 2,

(No Model.)

2 0 H 8 .W u I d e t n e t a P .L S U 0 H W. E N D .m 8 4 U 7 n N GARAXLE BOX.

(Application filed Dec. 28, 1900.)

3 SheetsSheet 3.

(No Model.)

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OSCAR NElVHOUSE, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

CAR-AXLE BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of. Letters Patent No. 704,085, dated July 8,1902.

Application filed December 28, 19

To (all 2072/0771, if; may concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAR Nnwnoosn, a citizen of'the United States ofAmerica. and a resident of the city and county of San Francisco, in theState of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Car- Axle Boxes, of which the following is a specilication.

This invention relates to the art of lubricating car-axle journals andtheir bearings.

The perfect lubrication of car-axle journals and the bearings thereofhas hitherto been considered as an unsolved problem by masteroar-builders generally, who, among the numberless devices offered tothem or tried for this purpose, have found but very few worthy of theirattention and absolutely none giving entire satisfaction. The chiefdifilculty in providing good car-axle boxes, it is apparent, is due totheir peculiar construction, wherein provision must be made for the easyinsertion, inspection, and withdrawal of theaxlejournal, the placing andrenewal of the brasses or bearing-block or saddle and wedge or keytherefor while the box is on the axle, the changing of dust-guardoccasionally, and the storage of sufficient lubricating material to lastfor a trip covering several thousand miles at a time. All this requiresa roomy or rather large axle-box, leaving a space of considerable depthunder the axlejournal, which when filled, as usual, With oilsoakedcotton or waste soon gets emptied of its lubricating matter and getsfilled with dirt instead, owing to the'fugitive character of the oilused, particularly when it becomes heated, and the impossibility ofkeeping the same in a body up to and about the journal. It is the objectof my invention to meet and overcome this dimculty. With that end inView I have endeavored to provide, first, a box of solid and stanchconstruction, affording all the facilities before enjoyed and more,while not departing from approved standards and patterns; second, aconvenient means of lubricating the said box and the axle therein,comprising a bountiful supply of non-fugitive lubricant directly andpositively applied over practically the entire surface of theaxle-journal, and, third, a simple contrivance to feed in thelubricant,as occasion requires,t0 keep it packed against the journal andcon- 00. Serial No. 41, L18. (No model.)

fined within the box, so it may not run at the joints, particularlythrough the opening for the axle-shoulder at the rear where, thedustguard drops.

The principle'which I have followed in designing the present inventionhas been employed by me with equal success for other bearings and it ispresumed will win for my car-axle box a kindly welcome everywhere andcause it to be found in every way satisfactory.

I will now explain my invention in detail with reference to theaccompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, and inwhich- Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation showing my improvedcar-axle box as 1 supply it when an entirely new box is desired. Fig. 2is a top view thereof, the axle being removed and part of the box brokenaway at the rear end to expose detail. Fig. 3 is an elevation showingthe box on the axle as viewed from the front with one-half in section.Fig. 4 is a sectional side elevation illustrating how my improvement isapplied to car-axle boxes that are already in use. 7 Fig. 5 is ahorizontal section on the line a; of Fig. 4 without the axle. Fig. 6 isa cross-section on the lineg y of Fig. 5 with the axle and brassesadded. Fig. 7 is a sectional side elevation similar to Fig. 4, showing afurther part of my improvement applied to an ordinary car-axle box. Fig.8 is a view similar to the preceding, represent ing a modifiedconstruction; and Fig. 9 is a similar elevation to Fig. 1, illustratingpart of the construction in different form.

Like reference-signs indicate like parts throughout the specificationand drawings.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 3, the letter A represents a car-axle boxwhich may be of 'any desired type, but by preference is made on thelines approved and adopted by the master car-builders ofthe UnitedStates. No radical or inconvenient change from their standard will befound in this box. 7 The only difference in construction which I suggestis to have the box fully open in front in order to facilitatelubrication as well as access to the parts inside and rounded inside atthe corners in the bottom for the purpose of makingits lowerinteriorsurface substantially concentric with the journal B of the axleC,thereby doing away with angles that would retain and withhold part ofthe lubricant from use and insuring greater strength in the box at thesame time. (See Fig. 3.) To impart additional strength, the uppercorners are also filled in, as best seen in Fig. 3, above the brass,saddle, or bearing-block D, that rests on the axle-journal and by thesides of the wedge or key E, which they help maintain in place betweenthe top of the box and said piece D. The axle-journal and parts D and Ethereon are of the usual construction, only D is made to reach fullyacross the box from side wall to side wall, as well as lengthwise fromthe collar to the shoulder of the axle along the entire journal, so asto prevent the.

aperture Gis located, preferably, opposite the lower half of the axleand the rounded bottom part of the box centrally. The extension or tubeH is provided with a slidable pressure-cap I, closely fitted on it. Thesaid pressure-cap has a wide flange J, capable of holding some lubricantalso and arranged to be slid over the feed-tube by degrees, and therebyto press against the lubricant previously placed therein and in the box,which is effected by means of studs K, screwed into the cover F andpassing through lugs L on said flange J, against which lugs nuts M,engaging the outer ends of said studs, are brought to bear.

In the back of the box A (Figs. 1, 2, and 3) and contacting with thelower half of the axle therein is a guard N, which I place there toprevent the lubricant from being forced out or running out of the boxthrough the bottom of the opening for the axle and through the lower endof the dust-guard 0 around it when pressure is applied through the cap Ior when the axle is in motion. This under guard Nreaches across the fullwidth of the boxinside and is guided into position and held up bylateral grooves or vertical slidewaysP made for it in the opposite sidesof the box close to the axle-opening or inner wall of the dust-guardchamber in the rear.

In working my invention I prefer the use of a firm non-flowing grease orgraphite compound to all oils and other fluid or semifluid lubricants.There are several sorts of such compounds that are quite cheap andavailable for the purpose of lubricating my improved box. When chargingthe box, I fill all that part of it which lies below the brasses, asalso the feed-tube or tubular extension of the cover and the flanged capthereof, with as much compound as the same will hold, and afteradjusting this cap into the right position I drive it inward over saidtube or extension by tightening the nuts on the studs K till thecompound is fully compressed and packed tightly against the axle journaland bearing. The box is then in good working order, so far as itslubrication is concerned, and will remain so for an unusually long spaceof time, through protracted journeys, without recharging with compound,only by readjusting the pressure-cap occasionallysay once a week orthereabout. The lubrication, it will be seen, is efiected in the mostthorough and effective manner throughout the entire bearing-surfaces,which are kept embedded in the compound and whose forced contacttherewith is consequently intimate,-

constant, and lasting. The compound, it will be further observed, doesnot run and escape like oil, so that it is much cleaner and moreeconomical to use. On the contrary, it rather operates to fill and stopup the joints, so to say, thus rendering the box tight and virtuallyproof against dust, and thereby preventing much injury either to thejournal or to the bearing.

Passing now from Figs. 1, 2, and 3 to Fig. 9, we see there aconstruction in all respects identical with that represented by saidfirstnamed figures with this only variation, that in said Fig. 9thefeed-tube or tubular extension H is curved upward from the cover F inthe shape of an elbow and its cap I is arranged to move in a verticalplane, whereas in Figs. 1 to 3 the same parts are disposed horizontally.The advantage in having an upwardly-extending feed-tube with avertically-sliding cap, instead of making these parts horizontal,consists in that they can then be made longer without undue protru sion,and therefore capable of holding more lubricant, and the gravity thereofwill be utilized in driving and keeping the lubricating matter in thebox up against the bearing and journal therein. In Fig. 9, as in Figs. 1to 8, the slidable pressure-cap I is worked by means of studs and nuts,as K M; but for convenience each stud K in this case is secured to a lugL on the tube H instead of being screwed into the cover F, as in theother case. Variations like the above, it will be noted, are entirelywithin my invention, which I am describing in what I deem its best form,but without any intention of limiting it to any particular detail or tosuch changes only as are herein specifically set forth and illustrated.Togive but one example, the same feed-tube and pressure-cap have beenconnected with the middle lower part of the cover F, as described andshown in the abovementioned Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 9, not through necessity,but by choice. It would be no divergence from my invention to place themeither at the top or bottom or side of the box nor to duplicate them,and I therefore claim them as part of my invention whatever may be theirshape or their number or their relative position on or about the box orits cover. Figs. 4 to 6 show a car-axle box A which is much used on ourrailways and has the same general outline as the box A,'previouslydescribed, excepting the forwardly-projecting bottom part in A with itsopening high up in front and the plain cover F thereover. This cover, asis well known, is usually bolted to the front end of the box A The axleand its journal, with the wedge on the bearing-block and the dust-guardat the rear in said Figs. 4, 5, and 6, are identical with those seen inFigs. 1, 2, 3, and 9, and therefore are marked with the same letters ofreference. The bearing-block in box A is not quite as wide as in A andis indicated by D To apply my improvement to a box like A with the leastalteration, I placein it a pan or tray Q, made wide enough to contactwith its walls at the sides and sufficiently long to take in the wholeunder surface of the axle-journal from the collar in front to theshoulder in the back when the bottom of said pan or tray rests on thebottom of said box. The front end of this tray Q is located forward ofthe axle-collar to clear the same, and its rear end is cut to thecurvature of the axle-journal to ac commodate it, so that the tray mayberaised under and by the sides of the journal as high up as the brasses,if desired. The lubricating compound is deposited in said tray and insuch quantity as will cause the entire exposed surface of theaxlejournal to be covered with it. Now to keep the compound up inpositive contact as it is being consumed I arrange to raise the tray Qat intervals by means of studs K screwed at their lower ends in cornerlugs L of said tray, thence passing upwardly through suitable holes inthe top of the box and provided at their outer ends with adjusting-nutsand lock-nuts M M Thus I am enabled to offer a simple and inexpensivemeans for lubricating car-axle journals and their bearings thoroughlyand positively, which may serve as a temporary substitute for the betterform of compound-applying device hereinbefore described, wherever forany reason it will be preferred to use the old boxes till they are wornout before discarding them for new fully-improved ones.

To prevent the compound from going out through the rear opening of thebox A at the bottom, I further provide it with a guard N similar to theguard N of box A and fitting in a similar manner around the lower halfof the axle C. This rear under guard is kept in a vertical positionacross the axle by placing its edges in slideways P formed at the rearend of the tray Q, as shown in Fig. 5, which slideways of the tray avoidgrooving the box, as in A. The guard N will remain in place whatever maybe the position of the tray Q, since the axle bears on it and holds itdown as the tray is being elevated. The said guard N and tray Q combinein shuttingin and applying the lubricating compound under pressure tothe axle-journal substantially in the same manner as thesimilarly-functioned feeder and guard employed in connection with thebox A.

A feeder can also be used in combination with a tray in either form ofcar-axle box hereinabove described. This, however, is illustrated onlyin connection with the box A in Figs. 7 and 8, which, it is thought,will be su flicient to give a clear idea of the combination. The box Ain these two views is the same as is represented in Figs. 4, 5, and 6,and it comprises the same parts, performing the same functions, withthis only difference that in Fig. 8 the tray Q is stationary, while inFig. 7 it is movable, as in said Figs. 4to 6. The feeder in Figs. 7 and8 consists, as in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 9, of a tube H, with a flangedpressure-cap I slidable over it. By preference this tube H is passedthrough the cover F and arranged to discharge the lubricating compounddirectly into the tray Q, to the forward part of which it is connected,though it may be made to discharge into the box, as in the figures lastnamed, and thence into the tray, if desired. When the tray Q is mademovable toward the axle-journal, as in Fig. 7, the tube H is passedthrough a slot Win the cover F which allows it to move with said IOOthe'tray Q is to remain stationary, as in Fig.

8, no slot or.washer need be provided, as onlya plain opening of theshape of the feedtube, to allow it to go through the cover, is requiredthen. The lugs L, that hold the lower or inner ends of the studs K,through which the slidable pressure-cap I is operated, are madedetachable in Figs. 7 and 8, screwing into the tube H as shown, in orderto let this tube pass freely through the cover F or the washer F unlessthe said cover or washer, or both, be made of separable parts. The saidpressure-cap I of the feed-tube H is worked by the same means as in Fig.9, but moves in an oblique direction. The under guard N at the rear endof the box in Figs. 7 and 8 is the same as the guard N in Figs. 4 to 6.The other parts of Figs. 7 and 8 not specifically mentioned here are thesame as appear in the other figures bearing the same reference-signs andwill be recognized without further description. The tube H itspressure-cap I, the tray Q, (whether movable or stationary,) and theguard N it will be seen, cooperate to produce similar effects to thoseobtained through the employment of the other forms of constructionpreviously de= scribed.

WVhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is

1. The combination with a car-axle and the box thereof, of a deviceadapted to feed lubricating matter to the axle-journal, and

means extending through the top of the box for adjusting said feeddevice, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a car-axle and box therefor provided with asuitable inlet, of a tray adapted to hold a lubricant under the journalin said box, a feed-tube at the outer end of the box extending throughthe cover thereof and operating to deliver the lubricant through saidinlet to the box and into the tray therein, and a pressure-cap at theend of the tube bearing on the lubricant therein, substantially asdescribed.

3. In a car-axle box, the combination with the journal and bearingtherein, of a tray adapted to hold a lubricant under said journal andbearing, a feeder arranged to supply the lubricant to said tray, a capfitted to said feeder so as to press on the lubricant, and meansextending upwardly through the top of the box for positively drawing upthe tray and its contents toward the journal and bearing, substantiallyas described.

4. In combination with the axle-journal, and the bearing therefor, of afeeder adapted to discharge lubricating matter into said bearin g, meanssuspended from the upper portion of the bearing for supporting thefeeder, and means extending through the top of the box for adjustingsaid suspended means, substantially as described.

5. In combination substantially as described, a journal, a bearing-boxtherefor, a tray beneath the journal, a curved tube leading from theoutside of the box and connected with one end of the tray constitutingtherewith a continuous unobstructed passage for a lubricant material,and a cup-shaped cap held at the end of said tube and adapted to pressdirectly upon the lubricant material therein.

6. In combination with the axle-journal and the bearing therefor, of afeeder adapted to discharge lubricating matter to said bearingcomprising an open-top tray, its outer wall extending beyond the endofsaid axle and its inner wall being cut away to permit an extendedvertical adjustment of the tray and means adjacent the top of the boxfor adjusting said tray, substantially as described.

7. In combination substantially as de scribed, a lubricant-holding traycomprising a body portion having an open top, a tubular inlet at one endof said body portion, and a pressure-exerting device at the end of thetube, the inner end of the said body portionbeing cut away for thepurpose described.

8. The combination with a car-axle its box and the cover therefor, ofafeed-tube adapted to discharge lubricating matter into said box throughsaid cover so that the same will reach the axle-journal, a cap fitted tosaid tube having a smooth hollow interior and arranged to press on thelubricant matter, and means for advancing said cap and retaining thesame in such advanced position, substantially as described.

9. The combination with a car-axle and its box, of a feed-tube at thelower portion of said box adapted to discharge lubricating matterbeneath the axle-journal, and means for feeding the lubricating matterthrough said tube

